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Sara Rivka Feder-Keyfitz

A childhood friend of Golda Meir, Sara Feder-Keyfitz grew up to be a significant Zionist and feminist leader in her own right. Feder-Keyfitz grew up with Meir in Milwaukee and, through her, became involved in the Poale Zion movement. While studying at Columbia, she joined the newly formed Zionist organization Pioneer Women and traveled to Palestine for the first time in 1927. She began teaching sociology at the University of Missouri in 1929 but spent her summers founding Pioneer Women clubs in Chicago. From 1936–1942 she took on more responsibility in the organization as a member of the Pioneer Women Secretariat and coeditor of Pioneer Woman. From 1951–1955 she served as their national president. Beyond her work as a Zionist, she also worked for women’s rights, publishing a number of sociological papers and lecturing at the University of Missouri on the changing status of women. In 1970 she made Aliyah, began teaching at the American College in Jerusalem, and founded the Adult Education Association in Israel.